Life after High School
by seth.pleant
Summary: Otani and Risa have both made it to the same university after their entrance examinations. Will their relationship survive the test of time, or will the addition of a new character cause more disruption to their already shaky relationship?
1. New surroundings New experience

Life after High School

University. The part in life where everyone looks forward to. Otani and Risa have both made it to the same university. Will their relationship survive the test of time, or will the addition of a new character cause more disruption to their already shaky relationship?

Disclaimer: Lovely Complex and all the characters inside belong to Aya Nakahara solely. I am in no way linked to the series nor the anime nor any LoveCom products. This story is not a continuation of the series, its just a fragment of my wild imagination. I do need your support though, it's my very first piece of fan fiction. Please help my contributing your reviews!!

Disclaimer 2: This, I am afraid, will be a very long story, so do bear with the slow pace of the development. I promise it will be good!!

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"Otaniii!! I can't believe we are actually in Kansai University right now! Given our equally lousy grades in high school for 3 whole years, I still cannot believe we both miraculously made it through the university entrance exams!" 

A hard knock on the head broke my grin.

"Who says we have equally lousy grades. Remember back in our final high school mid-year exams, I managed to beat you by 2 marks? And besides, I started preparing for the exams way earlier than you. It's obvious I would breeze through the entrance exams. Well, you got in too, somehow. There must have been a mix-up of papers or something. Well well, I sure pity the person who got your grades!"

"Yeah yeah. What's with the 2 marks anyway? That's like saying your 2mm increase in height makes you any taller, you midget!"

Of course I don't mean what I say. Although in truth, Otani really is very short, no matter which way I look at him. Especially when he is majoring in sports education. I can already imagine that scene in my head. He, only slightly taller than the elementary school students, teaching gym class to a group of young and innocent kids. He – my boyfriend of 8 months and 11 days.

My boyfriend.

Otani Atsushi.

Just that thought in my head alone could make me melt in glee. I couldn't resist laughing at that cute thought. Otani and me, together, after one whole year of chasing him. It had been a tough period, but the fruit of my hard labour is indeed the sweetest thing I've ever tasted.

Otani, having no idea of the wondrous air-castle playing out in my head, gave me another of his signature hard knocks at the back my head.

"Look, if you want to carry on fantasizing about whatever sort of silly nonsense you have in your head, you can continue to stand here in front of the entrance and do so. With your height, people may actually mistake you as a century-old totem pole. I am not going to stand here and miss the entrance ceremony because of you!"

"Let's hurry then, Atsushi-kun..." I said with my sweetest voice, at the same time fluttering my eyelids innocently.

Otani froze on the spot. "Wha what what are you doing? Are you having a seizure?" his words finally forced out, after like 5 years of stunned silence.

Seriously, there is no point in being sweet to him.

"Argh forget it. If Kanzaki-san's the one saying that, I am sure you will be falling head over heels for her all over again. An amazon can never be kawaii, I know. I should just stick to all that mad-woman screaming inside some secluded rainforest and impaling people with poisoned spears!" I signed in exasperation. It sure is tough falling in love with a shorter guy. Sometimes I wished I had fallen in love with a taller guy instead. At least people wouldn't think that I am bring my younger brother out for a trip. And the fact that Otani, being one of the most popular guys in high school, only makes things worse. Countless times have I been given the evil glare by the numerous girls in his fan club. Not to mention all the pin-pointing going on behind my back. At times I really wonder if it's worth the effort to continue with such a peculiar relationship. Reliving all those horrible past memories started to make my eyes sting, and soon enough, tears had began to form round the rims of my eyes.

Otani, somehow being able to read my mind, held my hand tightly, his warm and manly fingers intertwined with my very own. "Don't be silly, Risa. You know I'll choose the amazon over some over-cloyingly sweet girl anytime. You are interesting in your own way, Risa, and that's what draws me to you, with or without the sweetness," he said reassuringly. "Besides, I happen to like some sadism and violence in my girl."he couldn't help adding on, corking an eyebrow in the meantime.

Did I just hear him say that I am his girl?!?! OMG did he just say that? That was like the sweetest thing he has ever said to me. I am not just any random girl on the streets; I am Otani's girl! Ho ho ho, how I wish I can call Nobu-chan now and repeat whatever Otani has just said to me. My legs are getting wobbly all of a sudden, I think I am really melting away this time round.

For now, it's definitely well worth the effort.

"Uh-hum, that last sentence wasn't meant to be a compliment, you know?"

I wished I could find something now to hit his head with. His height must have been his retribution for all his meanness. In fact, he should shrink another 5 inches or so.

"Come on, if we don't hurry up now, we'll definitely miss the start of the ceremony. Didn't we work our ass off for this moment? I sure wouldn't want to miss this for anything in the world. And I want to share this special moment with you and you only, Risa Koizumi. So hurry up and get going!!" exclaimed Otani, whilst trying to pull me up the stairs leading to the varsity hall. With much effort.

And that's how it started, the first day of our long and eventful 4 years of school life in Kansai University.


	2. Who's that girl?

Chapter 2: Entrance ceremony

One word to summarize the entrance ceremony – Boring. With a capital B. I seriously don't understand why there is a need for an entrance ceremony. I mean, I certainly do not need to know all the teachers in this school, especially when I am going to forget their names, or even remotely what they looked like the moment they get off stage. And I definitely don't need to know that the main canteen sells one of the best omu-rice one can find around the district, and the fact that the school is even remotely proud of this fact. Sigh, this is like high school all over again, maybe worse, since Nobu-Chan, my bestest friend since forever, Nakao-kun, Chihara-chan and Suzuki-kun are all in different universities. Although we are all studying in the Osaka district, it sure feels lonely not having them around with me in school.

This whole speech thing is really making me sleepy. I am suddenly reminded of this one particular ceremony in high school when I was caught sleeping in the middle of a speech, whilst standing with the rest of the cohort. Somehow, all my past memories revolve around me goofing up. I can't even remember a time when I was even remotely praised by anyone! Am I, Risa Koizumi, destined to have a horrible life?? Not only am I cursed with a man-body (read: tall height, no boobs), I am uncivilized, rough and not in the least sweet. I am surprised, that with my lack of feminine qualities, that I can even snag a guy this cool like Otani. He must have been deluded.

I am suddenly jolted out of my thoughts by a stifled sneeze. I turned around, and there she was, both hands covering her nose, looking slightly embarrassed. Wow, she is so ladylike, I thought in my head. Exactly the kind of girl Otani likes.

A long time ago, like last year, when Otani and I were still not together, he once commented that I sneezed like a man, and that he would very much prefer to date a girl who would cover her nose with her hands when sneezing. This is exactly the kind of girl that he would like. Not me, the girl who sneezed loudly.

"Oh what the crap, I should probably stop all these paranoid thinking, it's getting unhealthy," I thought in my head, "Didn't Otani just reassured his love for me? The unwomanly amazon? We are already together now. I should be basking in our romance, instead of treating every woman on the streets as potential competitors. And besides, I am sure every girl covers their nose when sneezing, not just this girl beside me. Nothing to worry about."

I was just feeling a lot happier when she, the girl who sneezed, lowered her hands. I stood these, eyes wide open, mouth agape. She was, she was so beautiful!

You know, there are pretty girls, and there are beautiful girls. She is the perfect epitome of beauty. The kind of girl who would stop traffic and cause jams. The kind of girl who would even make other women look twice. Black flowing hair that framed her symmetrical face, slim and shapely (read: booby) body, tanned and healthy flawless complexion. The girls that stood beside her paled in comparison. Wait, I am standing beside her. Great, Risa Koizumi, you managed to stab yourself in the back again.

I turned to look at Otani. There he was, face filled with concentration, listening intently to the speaker. Yes, Atsushi is the kind of guy that is focused on what he wants. He wanted university, he got into university. I am sure he wouldn't just give me up for any random girl who just happened to sneeze with grace. He likes me, the uncivilized and goofy me. That's all that matters.

"What's with that silly grin again? You look like you are having spasms."

Shit. My thoughts must have shown on my face again.

"You know, you better go for a medical check-up when you are free. Half an hour ago, you were crying hysterically, and now you are grinning like a plain-faced idiot. People who don't know you may think you just escaped from the asylum."

"SO YOU ARE SAYING I AM INSANE? IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!"

Oh no. Big-mouthed-Risa strikes again. My faced immediately turned a shade of tomato red from all the rude stares I am getting.

"Gomen Gomen!! Carry on please, everyone!" I mouthed, hoping that my whispering would make everyone forget the deafening screech they heard just now, and at the same time using all my mental powers to will everyone to turn around and look straight instead. I thought this would be high school all over again. This is definitely worse than high school.


	3. Flashback

This chapter is really just some tying up some of the loose ends in my story so far. It answers why both Otani and Risa can get into university. It really can be skipped, and in my opinion, is rather boring. So skip this chapter if you wish to and hope you will carry on reading the next chapter! I promise it will be exciting!

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Well, that's an interesting start to my life as an undergrad.

Risa Koizumi, Kansai University undergraduate.

Sounds unbelievable, but I made it somehow. After a hell lot of studying. Actually, I never intended to study in an university, cause truthfully speaking, I never really had the brains for it. I couldn't even pass my normal high school exams during my 3 years in high school! In fact, I wasn't even close to passing at all! After much thinking (whilst recking my brains to complete a particularly hard maths question, in which Chihara-chan took only 3 steps to complete), I had already decided to work as a salesperson at the nearby departmental store, due to my passion in interacting with people (and partly for the heavily discounted clothes.)

In fact, I had even applied for a job interview, except that I kinda overslept and missed the interview. Luckily.

Cause that day was THE day. The day when Otani broke the news that he wanted to apply for Kansai University. No wonder for the past month he had always been 'too busy' to go out with me. I thought he must have met someone new and was trying to ditch me by meeting up less and one day disappearing from the face of the earth (or at least from me). Turned out that he was preparing for the national exams every single night. Spurred on by his determination (and partly cause I can't imagine having to go separate ways with him after high school), I decided I should take the national exams too and enter the same university as him.

And boy did I study hard. No more weekly outings with Nobu-chan to the nearby mall and restaurant. No more console gaming. Dates with Otani became study trips instead. All that sacrifice just so I could pass my national exams. Luckily all that serious studying proved worthwhile, when I found out I managed to make it to Kansai University with Otani.

That's about the gist of it. Anyway, my family has hailed Otani as my savior who managed to bring out the real, albeit (super) deeply inner potential in me. One night, I even heard my mum telling my dad to marry me off to Otani as soon as possible.

Hah! As if I, an independent woman of the 21st century, would like to get married at such a young age.

What old conservative thinking my parents have! To think that they want to make such important decisions without even consulting me? As if I really want to get married to Otani so soon.

What a joke!

Oh no, I really hope my dad takes my mum for real and quickly do something!!

Risa Atsushi. What a nice ring to it!.

Oops, was that drool on my chin?

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Ending notes: I try not to deviate too much from the real storyline, so those who have read the manga may feel that I have not developed the story much. I tend not to deviate much cause I want to keep the original essence of the story, and more of my own ideas will show from the next chapter onwards.

Next chapter: An old friend of Risa appears on campus, and who exactly is that beautiful girl that Risa saw during the entrance ceremony? Find out in the next chapter!


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